John W. Moyer wrote up this little bit of history for a family reunion...I share it with you now.
History of the Moyer Family
by John W. Moyer
I will attempt to give a brief history of the Moyer Family as near as I have been able to trace it back to great, great grandfather, whose name was George Jacob Moyer. He lived in or near Virginia City, Rockingham County, Virginia and to him and wife Christena, whose maiden name was Ebert, one child was born on the 16th of February 1767. On March 16, 1767 this child was baptized as George Jacob Moyer II. The baptismal Certificate was signed by Jacob Barr and was witnessed by his wife, Barbra. The Certificate was of a German Lutheran Church, dated at Virginia City.
Now as we learn that this son, George Jacob Moyer II, who was our great grandfather, was twice married. As near as I have been able to find out , he was first married to Elizabeth Bloss. To them a son named George was born on the 21st day of August 1800. This was our grandfather. We have no record of the exact date of great grandfather's first or second marriage other than his first wife died when grandfather George Moyer was about 2 years old. After the death of his first wife, whose name was Elizabeth, he married a second time to her sister, Cathrine. We have no record of the exact date of the death of great grandfather other than that I have often heard my father (the late Peter Moyer) say that he was some 7 or 8 years old when he died and father was born in 1826, which would have made it somewhere about 1833 or 1834.; his wife Cathrine having died some years before. Both are buried in the field just a little ways southwest of the house. Only a rough stone slab and a clump of cedars mark their graves. I have often heard my father say that grandfather was born near Roanoke, Virginia, which place was probably not far from where great great grandfather lived.
History tells us that great grandfather came to Ohio in the early spring of 1904. Probably soon after the second marriage. The first wife was buried in Virginia. On the 14th day of April 1804, great grandfather, G. Jacob Moyer II, recieved a deed from a man named William Ohler for 80 acres of land in consideration of $80.00. The first house was built in the now Northwest field, just a short distance north of where the old red haw tree now stands. I remember of seeing the place where the old well was dug. Father always said that it was walled with plank, split from a white oak tree. From what father always said the great grandfather continued to live in the old house until after the death of his second wife, which was after grandfather and grandmother, the late George Moyer and his wife, were married. After purchasing the farm he cleared a small tract of land where the present house stands, having chosen the site for the future buildings when he purchased the farm. He made a second trip back to Virginia and brought back a number of fruit trees. Two of the pear trees are now standing in the yard. The present house was built in about the year 1820 or 1821. That is the north part which was part of the original first house. The south part of the present house was built some 64 or 65 years ago. The first house was said to be mostly round logs, chinked and daubed with mortar made of lime burned on the farm. The present north part is mostly hewn logs, chinked with motar and weather boarded. Size of the north part is 20 x 22 feet, the south part is 16 x 18 feet. All is now two story of 7 rooms.
The first barn was round logs with straw roof, which stood near the old house. The cracks between the logs were closed with flax straw. It consisted only of a horse stable. Some years later a larger round log barn was built on the site of the present barn. The first roof was of straw, some years later a clab board roof was put on. The threshing floor was made of split plank called punchin. Some of these are yet to be seen in part of the present barn, which was built in the year 1889. A number of the old round logs were hewn off and used in the present barn. The clab-boards in the old barn were still in a fair condition when torn down and were used on other buildings. The old barn was built over 100 years ago. The present barn is 36 x 54 feet with basement 30 x 54 feet.
Now history tells us that George Moyer, who was our grandfather, was born August 21, 1800 and died on July 12, 1857, aged 57 years, was married on February 15, 1821 to Elizabeth Wolfe, who was born January 28, 1804, Frederick, Maryland and died Jnaury 12, 1863, aged 59 years. They are buried in the Old Cemetery on State Road, about 1 mile northwest of this old farm. Grandmother Moyer's father, the late Jacob Wolfe, was one of the donors of the ground for the Old Cemetery and church ground, giving 1/2 acre of ground for the said plot and the late Isaac Bear, who was the great grandfather of the writer's (John W. Moyer) wife, donated 1/2 acre for a cemetery and church. A two storey hewed log church was built on the grounds between the years 1812 and 1820 as I have often heard said. The old church went to decay some 10 or more years ago. Great grandfather Bear was the first person buried there on New Year's Day, 1824. Great grandfather Wolfe dieing some 8 years later. Their graves are but a short distance apart. Great grandmother Wolfe some years later moved to Elkhart County, Indiana, where she died at the home of her son, Daniel. She is buried at Syracuse, Indiana.
The last funeral preached in the old church was the writer's great grandmother, Elizabeth Witters, who died at the age of 82 years. This was December 7, 1878. The last buried there was the late Phillip Izor, who died some 30 years ago.
Now to George and Elizabeth Moyer were born 11 children, 6 sons and 5 daughters, all of whoom have been dead for more than 25 years.
Cathrine Moyer was born November 2, 1821 and died June 8, 1870, aged a little over 48 years. She was never married. She is buried at Farmersville, Ohio.
Susan Moyer was born November 28, 1922 and died November 15, 1905, aged 83 years. She was married to George S. Moyer, who died some 37 years ago. To this union were born 4 children, 3 daughters and 1 son. Two daughters are dead, Elizabeth married John W. Scott, died some 62 years ago, leaving one daughter, now Mrs. Earl R. Cook of Lewisburg Ohio. She is buried at Elk Creek Cemetery in Butler County, Ohio. Mr. Scott also died some 6 or 7 years ago and is buried in Gratis, Ohio. Mary Agnes was married to Aaron P. Brandenburg. She died some 56 years ago. One daughter was born to her, she dieing in infancy. She is buried at the Lower State Road Cemetery. Mr. Brandenburg dieing some 10 years ago is buried at Germantown, Ohio. Ellen was married to John W. Miller. To them 3 children were born. a son Court Miller of West Manchester, Ohio and a daughter, Mrs. Hattie Brown of West Sonora, Ohio survive. One son Wesley and Mr. Miller died some 10 years ago. They are buried at Lewisburg, Ohio. John M. of South Whitley, Indiana was married to Almira Miller. He is the father of 3 sons and one daughter, one son dieing some years ago. Mrs. Moyer died about 2 1/2 years ago. They are all buried at the Eberhart Cemetery near South Whitley, Indiana.
Peter Moyer was born March 8, 1826, died May 31, 1893, aged 67 years. He was married to Anna Eliza Smith, who died 13 years ago. They are buried at the Lower State Road Cemetery. To them were born two daughters and two sons. Alice who married John W. Miller, living on South Plum Street, Germantown, Ohio. They have no children. John W. Moyer on the Old Homestead was married to Lula Bear. To them 4 sons and 4 daughters were born. One daughter dieing 13 years ago, age 16 years. Mrs. Lula Moyer dieing 3 1/2 years ago. Both are buried at the Fairview Cemetery, Gratis, Ohio. William E. Moyer of South Walnut Street, Germantown, Ohio. He was married to Jennie Howard. To them four sons were born, two dieing in childhood some 30 years ago, they are buried at Gratis, Ohio. Agnes Nora married Frank Zeek. Mother of one daughter dieing in infancy 16 years ago, buried at Lower State Road Cemetery.
George W. Moyer was born June 19, 1828, died November 14, 1880 aged 52 years. He married Elizabeth Wilson who died 18 years ago. They are buried at Farmersville, Ohio. To them was one daughter, Mrs. Flora Bechtold of 607 Carlisle Avenue, Dayton, Ohio. She is the mother of 2 sons.
Elias Moyer was born August 17, 1830, died July 27, 1845, aged 15 years. He is buried at the Old State Road Cemetery.
Elizabeth Moyer was born September 19, 1832, died April 7, 1880, aged 48 years. She was married to John Stump who died 33 years ago. To them were born 2 sons and one daughter. Mary Ellen was married to Levi Burwell. She died 45 years ago. They are buried at Eberhart Cemetery near South Whitley, Indiana. Mr. Burwell died some 6 years ago at Long Mount, Colorado. Elias Stump of South Whitley, Indiana was married to Elizabeth Beenhay, who still survives. To this union one son and 3 daughters were born. He died some 16 years ago and is buried at South Whitley, Indiana. Charles M. Stump of South Whitley, Indiana was married to Clara A Cocklin. To them were born a son and a daughter. He died October 31, 1929 age nearly 63 years. He is buried at South Whitley, Indiana.
John W. Moyer was born May 9, 1834, died December 6, 1857, aged 23 years. He married Anna Myra Reel, who died some 20 years ago. To them was born one daughter, Josephine, who died in infancy. They are buried at West Carolton, Ohio.
Daniel Moyer was born January 11, 1837 died June 4, 1837. Buried at the Old State Road Cemetery.
Christena Moyer was born March 13, 1838, died March 14, 1863, aged 25 years. She is buried at Farmersville, Ohio. She married to Abraham Boomershine, who died 25 years ago. He is buried at Slifers Church north of Farmersville, Ohio. She was the mother of 2 daughters. Cathrine E. Schaffer, who died 24 years ago and was married to David P. Schaffer who died 12 years ago. To them were born 2 daughters, one dieing in infancy. Buried at Germantown, Ohio. Mary Ann Swartz died 9 years ago. She was married to Michael Swartz, who still survives. To them were born 5 sons and 3 daughters, one daughter dieing less than 2 years ago. They are buried at Germantown, Ohio.
William Henry Moyer was born August 2, 1840, died July 25, 1895, aged 55 years. He was never married. He is buried at Syracuse, Indiana.
Mary Ann Moyer was born March 24, 1842, died March 25, 1842. Buried at the Old State Road Cemetery.
To my knowledge there has been but 2 deaths in the family of near relation during the past 2 years. Mrs. Etho Swartz Socelin who died August 1927 at 22 years of age and Charles M. Stump who died October 31, 1929, aged nearly 63 years.
There are yet seven of the grandchildren living whose ages range from 58 years to 80 years, the oldest is Mrs. Ellen Miller of West Sonora, Ohio aged 80. John M. Moyer of South Whitley, Indiana aged 78 years. Mrs. Flora Bechtold of Dayton, Ohio. aged 69. Mrs. Alice Miller of Germantown, Ohio, aged 65. John W. Moyer of RFD1, Germantown, Ohio aged 63. William E. Moyer of Germantown, Ohio, aged 60. Agnes Zeek of Germantown, Ohio, who is the youngest at 58.
About 85 or 90 years ago grandfather Moyer purchased the 100 acre farm on the west of the present farm of Abraham Neff for $600.00 and moved there and continued to live there until his death. Grandmother continued to live here until her death several years later. After grandmother's death in 1863, father purchased the 80 acre tract for $3500. The upper farm was sold to the late Isaac Schaffer who after a few years sold it to John Smith, whose family still owns the place (1929)
Among some of the articles that the great grandfather brought from Virginia are an old wooden works clock and an old long rifle. They are still in my possession. I also have an old flax break and scutching wheel, and a toe heckel. These were grandfather's .
We learned that grandfather Moyer never had his picture taken but we have an old fashioned tin type of great grandmother Wolfe. I never saw either grandfather or grandmother Moyer, both dieing some years before I was born.
Grandmother Moyer had four brothers and four sisters. They were namely, Daniel of Syracuse, Indiana, Simon and Frederick Wolfe of Champaign, Illinois, Jacob Wolfe of Logansport, Indiana. Her sisters were Cathrine Witters of Syracuse, Indiana, Sallie Shroyer and Susan Montel both of Warsaw, Indiana and Christena Wilke of near Arcanum, Ohio. Some of the Jacob Wolfe family reside near Logansport, Indian. A number of the descendants of Frederick and Simon still live in Illinois. A number of the Montel family still reside near Warsaw, Indiana. Some of the Shroyer family live near Warsaw, South Bend and Elkhart, Indiana. One son of the late Daniel Wolfe family resides in Logansport, Indian. a daughter in Syracuse, Indiana. There may be others that I know nothing about.
Now in conclusion I will state that there were a number of the Moyer family that were school teachers. First we find that George W. Moyer taught school a number of years, afterwards read law and was a prominent lawyer at the time of his death. His brother, John W. Moyer also taught a number of years until his death. Next we find Alonzo Swartz after teaching a number of terms of school also reading law and is now a prominent lawyer in Indianapolis, Indiana. Monroe Swartz was a teacher a number of years and is now a bookkeeper for a manufacturing firm in Springfield, Ohio. Next we find E.S. Hetzler in the school room a number of years, now retired and farming. Then in Indiana we have the following persons who have been teachers, a number are still teaching. First we find Mr. and Mrs. Earl Moyer of near South Whitley, Indiana who have now retired. Next we find Mr. and Mrs. George Long of Warren, Indiana. Next we find Mr. and Mrs. Fred Godlove of Iron River, Michigan. Both Mrs. Long and Mrs. Godlove are now retired. Next we find Gerald Moyer of Goshen, Indiana. Next we find Harold Moyer (now deceased) of Columbia City, Indiana. Next we find Mrs. Lawrence Moyer Schrader of Columbia City, Indiana, now retired. Next we find Mrs. Lest Stump Bryant, now retired. Next we find Hubert Stump in the school room, but now retired and engaged in the printing business at South Whitley, Indiana. There may be others whose name I did not learn.
But as far as it is know only one or two ministers in the whole relationship. Namely Mr. Elmer Grubb and C.C. Bell both of Oregon. The latter is dead.
And as far as I know I have tried to give you the history of the family as near as I was able to find things out. If any mistakes have been made and there probably have been, please overlook them for this was a greater task than I expected when I commenced it. I also want to thank all for visiting the Moyer Home Place and cordially invite you to meet from year to year. Assuring one and all that I will welcome you as in the past, I am,
Respectfully yours,
John W. Moyer
Germantown, Ohio
Dated this 29 day of June 1929
Revised to June 30
March 12, 2001....Please contact me if this family might be connected to you, I would love to hear from you. Bobbie Nicholson
